The heart, a fist-sized powerhouse, sits in the chest between the lungs. It's a complex pump with four chambers, valves, and layers of tissue. The heart's structure allows it to efficiently move blood through two circulatory loops.
Blood flows through the heart in a specific sequence, powered by coordinated contractions. The right side handles deoxygenated blood, while the left deals with oxygenated blood. Coronary vessels nourish the heart itself, ensuring it can keep up its vital work.
Heart Anatomy and Function
Position of heart in thorax
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Located in the mediastinum, the central compartment of the thoracic cavity
Roughly the size of a closed fist (human hand)
Situated between the lungs (left and right)
Two-thirds of the mass is to the left of the body's midline
Protected by the sternum anteriorly, the vertebrae posteriorly, and the rib cage (thoracic cage)
Rests on the diaphragm inferiorly
External and internal heart structures
: pointed tip of the heart, situated inferiorly and pointing to the left
: opposite the apex, situated superiorly and posteriorly
: external groove marking the separation between the and
: internal wall separating the right and left atria
: internal wall separating the right and left ventricles
Muscular part: thick, lower portion of the
Membranous part: thin, upper portion of the interventricular
: cone-shaped projections in the ventricles that attach to (heart strings)
: fibrous strings that connect papillary muscles to the (mitral and tricuspid)
Layers of cardiac tissue
: outer layer of the heart wall, composed of mesothelium and connective tissue (serous )
: middle layer of the heart wall, composed of cardiac muscle tissue
Responsible for the heart's contraction and pumping action
: inner layer of the heart wall, composed of endothelial cells and connective tissue
Continuous with the endothelial lining of blood vessels (arteries and veins)
: protective sac surrounding the heart, consisting of fibrous and serous layers
Heart structure for pumping
Atria: upper chambers of the heart that receive blood from the veins
receives deoxygenated blood from the systemic circulation (body)
receives oxygenated blood from the pulmonary circulation (lungs)
Ventricles: lower chambers of the heart that pump blood out to the arteries
pumps deoxygenated blood to the pulmonary circulation (lungs)
pumps oxygenated blood to the systemic circulation (body)
Valves: ensure unidirectional blood flow through the heart
Atrioventricular (AV) valves: located between the atria and ventricles
: between the right and right ventricle
Mitral (bicuspid) : between the left atrium and left ventricle
: located at the base of the and
: at the base of the pulmonary trunk
: at the base of the aorta
Systemic vs pulmonary circulation
Systemic circulation: carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle to the body tissues and returns deoxygenated blood to the right atrium
Aorta: largest artery in the body, carries oxygenated blood from the left ventricle (to organs and tissues)
Superior and : large veins that return deoxygenated blood to the right atrium (from upper and lower body)
Pulmonary circulation: carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood to the left atrium
Pulmonary trunk: large artery that carries deoxygenated blood from the right ventricle to the lungs (for oxygenation)
: four veins that return oxygenated blood from the lungs to the left atrium
Blood vessels of coronary circulation
: supply oxygenated blood to the heart muscle ()
: arises from the left aortic sinus
Left anterior descending (LAD) artery: supplies the anterior wall and interventricular septum
: supplies the left lateral and posterior walls
: arises from the right aortic sinus, supplies the right atrium, right ventricle, and posterior walls of the left ventricle
: drain deoxygenated blood from the heart muscle (myocardium)
: runs alongside the LAD artery
: runs in the
: runs along the right coronary artery
: receives blood from the cardiac veins and empties into the right atrium
Blood flow through heart chambers
Deoxygenated blood enters the right atrium via the superior and inferior vena cava
Blood flows through the into the right ventricle
The right ventricle pumps blood through the into the pulmonary trunk and arteries, which carry it to the lungs for oxygenation
Oxygenated blood returns from the lungs via the and enters the left atrium
Blood flows through the into the left ventricle
The left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood through the into the aorta, which distributes it to the systemic circulation (body)
Cardiac function and regulation
: the sequence of events that occur during one heartbeat, including systole (contraction) and diastole (relaxation)
: specialized cardiac tissues that generate and conduct electrical impulses to coordinate heart contractions
: the volume of blood pumped by the heart per minute, calculated by multiplying heart rate and
Stroke volume: the amount of blood ejected from the left ventricle during one contraction